Siege of Chester
Encyclopedia
The Siege of Chester was a siege
of the First English Civil War
, between February 1645 and January 1646, with an intermission during the summer of 1645.
From the beginning of the war, the city of Chester
was held by forces loyal to the King
. It was first besieged in late 1644, but was relieved in March 1645 by Prince Maurice. With fighting continuing around Cheshire
, the siege was not pursued again in earnest until September 1645, continuing ferociously until the following January. At the Battle of Rowton Heath
in September, King Charles
himself failed to lift the siege, suffering a disastrous defeat.
Throughout the siege, which varied considerably in intensity, the garrison
was commanded by Lord Byron
, who in the final months strongly defended the city against great odds. In January 1646 (1645, Old Style), faced by the starvation
of the inhabitants, Byron was persuaded to surrender, and the city was occupied by forces of the New Model Army
under Sir William Brereton
.
, in Cheshire
, was an important stronghold in the English border country, commanding an important crossing of the River Dee and thus the approach to North Wales
. With strong city walls
, dating originally from Roman times, Chester was a Royalist stronghold from the beginning of the Civil War. Early in the war, between 1642 and 1643, its walls were strengthened and a new ring of earthwork defences was added outside them.
After Lord Byron
was defeated at the Battle of Nantwich
in January 1644, he marched his remaining forces to Chester, making it his base for resistance to the Parliamentarian forces in Cheshire under Sir William Brereton
. During the first half of 1645, Brereton was able to gain control of most of Cheshire, but the king's men in Chester commanded the river crossing into North Wales, still held by the king, protecting it from a Parliamentary invasion.
) Brereton mounted a determined assault on Chester, in the course of which a force of his men tried unsuccessfully to scale the walls near the Northgate. Defeated, he began to besiege the city.
In March, Prince Maurice of the Palatinate arrived to relieve the city. However, having done so, when he moved on in April he took with him a large part of the garrison
, including some 1,200 hardened Irish fighting men. Chester was left with only some six hundred regular soldiers, together with its own civilians who were able to bear arms.
On 14 June 1645, King Charles
's main army was decisively beaten at the Battle of Naseby
by the New Model Army
under Sir Thomas Fairfax
. The king then withdrew to Hereford
, hoping for more reinforcements from Wales
and Ireland
. Early in July 1645, he lodged at Raglan Castle
in Wales. On 10 July his army in the west of England under Lord Goring
was heavily defeated at the Battle of Langport
, and news also reached Charles that an army of Covenanters was marching south. At the beginning of August 1645, Charles left Raglan with some 2,500 men, marching northwards along the Welsh border in the hope of rallying more royalists to his cause in the north of England. He reached Doncaster
on 18 August, where he had news that both the Parliamentary Northern Association Army and a force of Covenanter cavalry
were moving towards him. He quickly withdrew to Newark
and then to Oxford
, by way of a punitive attack on Huntingdon
, Oliver Cromwell
's home town and parliamentary base.
On 30 August the king marched to the assistance of his forces at Hereford
, by now under siege by Lord Leven
's Covenanters, but as the royal army approached news reached Leven of Montrose
's victory on 15 August at the Battle of Kilsyth
. He abandoned the siege of Hereford, marching north, so that Charles was able to occupy the town on 4 September. The king returned to Raglan, where some two weeks later he received news that Prince Rupert
had surrendered Bristol
. After Lord Digby persuaded Charles that Rupert had surrendered prematurely, the King dismissed Rupert and the two were estranged.
. The Committee of Both Kingdoms
instructed Sydnam Poyntz
to pursue and contain the king, and Poyntz advanced for that purpose with a mounted force of some three thousand cavalry
and dragoons. The King moved northwards, without meeting Poyntz, and on 22 September he reached Chirk Castle
. Here he received news of a new attack on Chester.
With the surrender of Bristol, Chester had become the only seaport in England under King Charles's control where it would be possible to land the reinforcements he was awaiting from Ireland, which he hoped could save him from ultimate defeat.
Early on 20 September 1645, just before daylight, a New Model Army force of more than seven hundred infantry
and an equal number of cavalry, led by Colonel Michael Jones
, began a fresh assault on Chester. The attack broke through the outer Royalist earthworks around the eastern suburbs. After Jones had ordered the burning down of the urban areas in front of the Eastgate, he moved artillery
up to St John the Baptist's Church
to bombard the city wall. By 22 September, the king arrived at Chirk, but Jones's guns had already created a breach in the walls.
The king made for Chester with all possible speed. Word that he was coming was passed on to the garrison commander, Lord Byron
. The king reached Chester on 23 September with an advance party consisting of his Lifeguards, Lord Gerard's brigade of some six hundred horse, and a small number of foot soldiers. This force was able to enter the city from the western bank of the River Dee
because it was still under Royalist control. Meanwhile, in the hope of trapping the besieging forces between the king's main army and an enlarged garrison within the city, Sir Marmaduke Langdale
took more than three thousand of the king's cavalry northwards towards Chester, crossing the Dee over Farndon Bridge
, Holt
, at dawn on 24 September.
Moving north-east, Langdale received reports near the village of Rowton
that Poyntz's Roundhead cavalry was approaching Chester from Whitchurch
. Poyntz, who had ridden through the night to meet the royal army, met Langdale at Rowton Moor. All morning, both forces held their ground, but at about 2 pm, Colonel Jones sent part of his siege forces to join those of Poyntz. King Charles is said to have watched the ensuing defeat of his forces at the Battle of Rowton Heath
from the Phoenix Tower
on Chester's city walls, when Parliamentary forces routed the remaining Royalist cavalry. The dead included the king's cousin Lord Bernard Stewart
.
On 25 September, leaving Byron in charge of the garrison, the king retreated from Chester to Denbigh
in North Wales with only five hundred mounted men. As Byron refused to surrender, the Roundheads extended their siege works around the city and continued their bombardment.
For more than four months, the Royalist garrison resisted all Parliamentarian attempts to enter the city and even mounted counter-attacks. But as autumn became winter, many inhabitants died of starvation
. In January 1646 (1645, old style
), William Ince
, as Mayor of Chester, persuaded Byron to surrender the city. On 3 February, the forces of Sir William Brereton
occupied Chester.
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
of the First English Civil War
First English Civil War
The First English Civil War began the series of three wars known as the English Civil War . "The English Civil War" was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations that took place between Parliamentarians and Royalists from 1642 until 1651, and includes the Second English Civil War and...
, between February 1645 and January 1646, with an intermission during the summer of 1645.
From the beginning of the war, the city of Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
was held by forces loyal to the King
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
. It was first besieged in late 1644, but was relieved in March 1645 by Prince Maurice. With fighting continuing around Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, the siege was not pursued again in earnest until September 1645, continuing ferociously until the following January. At the Battle of Rowton Heath
Battle of Rowton Heath
The Battle of Rowton Heath occurred on 24 September 1645 during the English Civil War between the Parliamentarians, commanded by Sydnam Poyntz, and the Royalists under the personal command of King Charles I...
in September, King Charles
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
himself failed to lift the siege, suffering a disastrous defeat.
Throughout the siege, which varied considerably in intensity, the garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
was commanded by Lord Byron
John Byron, 1st Baron Byron
John Byron, 1st Baron Byron was an English Royalist and supporter of Charles I during the English Civil War.-Life:...
, who in the final months strongly defended the city against great odds. In January 1646 (1645, Old Style), faced by the starvation
Starvation
Starvation is a severe deficiency in caloric energy, nutrient and vitamin intake. It is the most extreme form of malnutrition. In humans, prolonged starvation can cause permanent organ damage and eventually, death...
of the inhabitants, Byron was persuaded to surrender, and the city was occupied by forces of the New Model Army
New Model Army
The New Model Army of England was formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians in the English Civil War, and was disbanded in 1660 after the Restoration...
under Sir William Brereton
William Brereton
William Brereton is the name of:* William Brereton in the privy chamber of Henry VIII* Sir William Brereton MP for Cheshire in 1547 and 1559...
.
Background
The city of ChesterChester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
, in Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, was an important stronghold in the English border country, commanding an important crossing of the River Dee and thus the approach to North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
. With strong city walls
Chester city walls
.Chester city walls consist of a defensive structure built to protect the city of Chester in Cheshire, England. Their construction was started by the Romans when they established the fortress of Deva Victrix between 70 and 80 AD. It originated with a rampart of earth and turf surmounted by a...
, dating originally from Roman times, Chester was a Royalist stronghold from the beginning of the Civil War. Early in the war, between 1642 and 1643, its walls were strengthened and a new ring of earthwork defences was added outside them.
After Lord Byron
John Byron, 1st Baron Byron
John Byron, 1st Baron Byron was an English Royalist and supporter of Charles I during the English Civil War.-Life:...
was defeated at the Battle of Nantwich
Battle of Nantwich
The Battle of Nantwich was fought during the First English Civil War, between the forces of Parliament and of King Charles I, northwest of the town of Nantwich in Cheshire on 25 January 1644...
in January 1644, he marched his remaining forces to Chester, making it his base for resistance to the Parliamentarian forces in Cheshire under Sir William Brereton
William Brereton
William Brereton is the name of:* William Brereton in the privy chamber of Henry VIII* Sir William Brereton MP for Cheshire in 1547 and 1559...
. During the first half of 1645, Brereton was able to gain control of most of Cheshire, but the king's men in Chester commanded the river crossing into North Wales, still held by the king, protecting it from a Parliamentary invasion.
February to March 1645
In February 1645 (1644, old styleOld Style and New Style dates
Old Style and New Style are used in English language historical studies either to indicate that the start of the Julian year has been adjusted to start on 1 January even though documents written at the time use a different start of year ; or to indicate that a date conforms to the Julian...
) Brereton mounted a determined assault on Chester, in the course of which a force of his men tried unsuccessfully to scale the walls near the Northgate. Defeated, he began to besiege the city.
In March, Prince Maurice of the Palatinate arrived to relieve the city. However, having done so, when he moved on in April he took with him a large part of the garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
, including some 1,200 hardened Irish fighting men. Chester was left with only some six hundred regular soldiers, together with its own civilians who were able to bear arms.
The summer of 1645
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
's main army was decisively beaten at the Battle of Naseby
Battle of Naseby
The Battle of Naseby was the key battle of the first English Civil War. On 14 June 1645, the main army of King Charles I was destroyed by the Parliamentarian New Model Army commanded by Sir Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell.-The Campaign:...
by the New Model Army
New Model Army
The New Model Army of England was formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians in the English Civil War, and was disbanded in 1660 after the Restoration...
under Sir Thomas Fairfax
Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron
Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron was a general and parliamentary commander-in-chief during the English Civil War...
. The king then withdrew to Hereford
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
, hoping for more reinforcements from Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. Early in July 1645, he lodged at Raglan Castle
Raglan Castle
Raglan Castle is a late medieval castle located just north of the village of Raglan in the county of Monmouthshire in south east Wales. The modern castle dates from between the 15th and early 17th-centuries, when the successive ruling families of the Herberts and the Somersets created a luxurious,...
in Wales. On 10 July his army in the west of England under Lord Goring
George Goring, Lord Goring
George Goring, Lord Goring was an English Royalist soldier. He was known by the courtesy title Lord Goring as the eldest son of the 1st Earl of Norwich.- The Goring family :...
was heavily defeated at the Battle of Langport
Battle of Langport
The Battle of Langport was a Parliamentarian victory late in the English Civil War which destroyed the last Royalist field army and gave Parliament control of the West of England, which had hitherto been a major source of manpower, raw materials and imports for the Royalists...
, and news also reached Charles that an army of Covenanters was marching south. At the beginning of August 1645, Charles left Raglan with some 2,500 men, marching northwards along the Welsh border in the hope of rallying more royalists to his cause in the north of England. He reached Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
on 18 August, where he had news that both the Parliamentary Northern Association Army and a force of Covenanter cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
were moving towards him. He quickly withdrew to Newark
Newark
-United Kingdom:* Newark-on-Trent, a market town in Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands region of England and the oldest Newark** Newark * Newark, Peterborough in Cambridgeshire...
and then to Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, by way of a punitive attack on Huntingdon
Huntingdon
Huntingdon is a market town in Cambridgeshire, England. The town was chartered by King John in 1205. It is the traditional county town of Huntingdonshire, and is currently the seat of the Huntingdonshire district council. It is known as the birthplace in 1599 of Oliver Cromwell.-History:Huntingdon...
, Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
's home town and parliamentary base.
On 30 August the king marched to the assistance of his forces at Hereford
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
, by now under siege by Lord Leven
Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven
Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven was a Scottish soldier in Dutch, Swedish and Scottish service. Born illegitimate and raised as a foster child, he subsequently advanced to the rank of a Dutch captain, a Swedish Field Marshal, and in Scotland became lord general in command of the Covenanters,...
's Covenanters, but as the royal army approached news reached Leven of Montrose
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose was a Scottish nobleman and soldier, who initially joined the Covenanters in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, but subsequently supported King Charles I as the English Civil War developed...
's victory on 15 August at the Battle of Kilsyth
Battle of Kilsyth
The Battle of Kilsyth was an engagement of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms which took place on 15 August 1645 at Kilsyth. Despite the numerical disadvantage, the battle was another victory for Royalist forces over the Covenanters, and marked the end of William Baillie's pursuit of the...
. He abandoned the siege of Hereford, marching north, so that Charles was able to occupy the town on 4 September. The king returned to Raglan, where some two weeks later he received news that Prince Rupert
Prince Rupert of the Rhine
Rupert, Count Palatine of the Rhine, Duke of Bavaria, 1st Duke of Cumberland, 1st Earl of Holderness , commonly called Prince Rupert of the Rhine, KG, FRS was a noted soldier, admiral, scientist, sportsman, colonial governor and amateur artist during the 17th century...
had surrendered Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
. After Lord Digby persuaded Charles that Rupert had surrendered prematurely, the King dismissed Rupert and the two were estranged.
September 1645 to January 1646
With his remaining forces, Charles marched north from Raglan, hoping to join Montrose, not knowing that on 13 September Montrose had suffered a catastrophic defeat at the Battle of PhiliphaughBattle of Philiphaugh
The Battle of Philiphaugh was fought on 13 September 1645 during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms near Selkirk in the Scottish Borders. The Royalist army of the Marquess of Montrose was destroyed by the Covenanter army of Sir David Leslie, restoring the power of the Committee of Estates.-Prelude:When...
. The Committee of Both Kingdoms
Committee of Both Kingdoms
The Committee of Both Kingdoms, , was a committee set up during the English Civil War by the Parliamentarian faction in association with representatives from the Scottish Covenanters, to oversee the conduct of the War and Foreign Policy...
instructed Sydnam Poyntz
Sydnam Poyntz
Sydnam Poyntz , Col.-Gen., an English soldier, served in the Thirty Years' War under Ernst von Mansfeld before commanding Parliamentary forces in the English Civil War....
to pursue and contain the king, and Poyntz advanced for that purpose with a mounted force of some three thousand cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
and dragoons. The King moved northwards, without meeting Poyntz, and on 22 September he reached Chirk Castle
Chirk Castle
Chirk Castle is a castle located at Chirk, Wrexham, Wales.The castle was built in 1295 by Roger Mortimer de Chirk, uncle of Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March as part of King Edward I's chain of fortresses across the north of Wales. It guards the entrance to the Ceiriog Valley...
. Here he received news of a new attack on Chester.
With the surrender of Bristol, Chester had become the only seaport in England under King Charles's control where it would be possible to land the reinforcements he was awaiting from Ireland, which he hoped could save him from ultimate defeat.
Early on 20 September 1645, just before daylight, a New Model Army force of more than seven hundred infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
and an equal number of cavalry, led by Colonel Michael Jones
Michael Jones (soldier)
Lieutenant-General Michael Jones fought for King Charles I during the Irish Confederate War but joined the English Parliamentary side when the English Civil War started....
, began a fresh assault on Chester. The attack broke through the outer Royalist earthworks around the eastern suburbs. After Jones had ordered the burning down of the urban areas in front of the Eastgate, he moved artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
up to St John the Baptist's Church
St John the Baptist's Church, Chester
St John the Baptist's Church, Chester is in the city of Chester, Cheshire, England. It lies outside the city walls on a cliff above the north bank of the River Dee. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese...
to bombard the city wall. By 22 September, the king arrived at Chirk, but Jones's guns had already created a breach in the walls.
The king made for Chester with all possible speed. Word that he was coming was passed on to the garrison commander, Lord Byron
John Byron, 1st Baron Byron
John Byron, 1st Baron Byron was an English Royalist and supporter of Charles I during the English Civil War.-Life:...
. The king reached Chester on 23 September with an advance party consisting of his Lifeguards, Lord Gerard's brigade of some six hundred horse, and a small number of foot soldiers. This force was able to enter the city from the western bank of the River Dee
River Dee, Wales
The River Dee is a long river in the United Kingdom. It travels through Wales and England and also forms part of the border between the two countries....
because it was still under Royalist control. Meanwhile, in the hope of trapping the besieging forces between the king's main army and an enlarged garrison within the city, Sir Marmaduke Langdale
Marmaduke Langdale
Sir Marmaduke Langdale was a Royalist commander in the English Civil War.He married Lenox , daughter of Sir John Rodes of Barlborough, Derbyshire, and his third wife Catherine, daughter of Marmaduke Constable of Holderness on 12 September 1626, at St Michael-le-Belfry in York...
took more than three thousand of the king's cavalry northwards towards Chester, crossing the Dee over Farndon Bridge
Farndon Bridge
Farndon Bridge crosses the River Dee and the England-Wales border between the villages of Farndon, Cheshire, England and Holt, Wales . It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building, and is a scheduled monument...
, Holt
Holt, Wales
Holt is a medieval market town and local government community in the county borough of Wrexham, Wales. It is situated on the border with England. Holt Castle was begun by Edward I shortly after the English invasion of Wales in 1277.-Area:...
, at dawn on 24 September.
Moving north-east, Langdale received reports near the village of Rowton
Rowton
Rowton is the name of several places in England:*Rowton, Cheshire*Rowton, Shropshire*Rowton Castle, a Grade II listed building in ShropshireIt may also refer to:*Battle of Rowton Heath, a battle during the English Civil War...
that Poyntz's Roundhead cavalry was approaching Chester from Whitchurch
Whitchurch
Whitchurch can refer to:Towns in the United Kingdom:*Whitchurch, Shropshire*Whitchurch, HampshireVillages in the United Kingdom:*Whitchurch, Bristol*Whitchurch, Buckinghamshire*Whitchurch, Cardiff*Whitchurch, Devon...
. Poyntz, who had ridden through the night to meet the royal army, met Langdale at Rowton Moor. All morning, both forces held their ground, but at about 2 pm, Colonel Jones sent part of his siege forces to join those of Poyntz. King Charles is said to have watched the ensuing defeat of his forces at the Battle of Rowton Heath
Battle of Rowton Heath
The Battle of Rowton Heath occurred on 24 September 1645 during the English Civil War between the Parliamentarians, commanded by Sydnam Poyntz, and the Royalists under the personal command of King Charles I...
from the Phoenix Tower
Phoenix Tower
Phoenix Tower is a 434ft tall skyscraper in Houston, Texas. It was completed in 1984 and has 34 floors. It is the 36th tallest building in the city. It is managed by Hines Interests....
on Chester's city walls, when Parliamentary forces routed the remaining Royalist cavalry. The dead included the king's cousin Lord Bernard Stewart
Lord Bernard Stewart
Lord Bernard Stewart was a Scottish aristocrat who served as a Royalist commander in the English Civil War. He was the youngest of five sons of Esmé Stewart, 3rd Duke of Lennox and his wife Katherine Clifton, 2nd Baroness Clifton, and the brother of James Stewart, 1st Duke of Richmond.Lord Bernard...
.
On 25 September, leaving Byron in charge of the garrison, the king retreated from Chester to Denbigh
Denbigh
Denbigh is a market town and community in Denbighshire, Wales. Before 1888, it was the county town of Denbighshire. Denbigh lies 8 miles to the north west of Ruthin and to the south of St Asaph. It is about 13 miles from the seaside resort of Rhyl. The town grew around the glove-making industry...
in North Wales with only five hundred mounted men. As Byron refused to surrender, the Roundheads extended their siege works around the city and continued their bombardment.
For more than four months, the Royalist garrison resisted all Parliamentarian attempts to enter the city and even mounted counter-attacks. But as autumn became winter, many inhabitants died of starvation
Starvation
Starvation is a severe deficiency in caloric energy, nutrient and vitamin intake. It is the most extreme form of malnutrition. In humans, prolonged starvation can cause permanent organ damage and eventually, death...
. In January 1646 (1645, old style
Old Style and New Style dates
Old Style and New Style are used in English language historical studies either to indicate that the start of the Julian year has been adjusted to start on 1 January even though documents written at the time use a different start of year ; or to indicate that a date conforms to the Julian...
), William Ince
William Ince (MP)
William Ince was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1660.Ince was sheriff of Chester in 1635 and as a pro-royalist became mayor of Chester in 1643 after King Charles visited the city. He was described as a yeoman...
, as Mayor of Chester, persuaded Byron to surrender the city. On 3 February, the forces of Sir William Brereton
William Brereton
William Brereton is the name of:* William Brereton in the privy chamber of Henry VIII* Sir William Brereton MP for Cheshire in 1547 and 1559...
occupied Chester.
See also
- Siege of OxfordSiege of OxfordThe Siege of Oxford was a Parliamentarian victory late in the First English Civil War. Whereas the title of the event may suggest a single siege, there were in fact three individual engagements that took place over a period of three years....
- Siege of TauntonSiege of TauntonThe Siege of Taunton occurred during the English Civil War.Taunton Castle changed hands several times during the great Civil War of 1642-45 but only along with the town....
- Siege of BristolSiege of BristolThe Siege of Bristol was a siege by the forces of Isabella of France and Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March during the Despenser wars. The French and English rebels fought the garrison under Hugh Despenser the Elder for 8 days in a siege. The French captured the fort after several attacks.- Siege of...
- Siege of Carlisle (1645)Siege of Carlisle (1645)After the storming of Newcastle in October of 1644, General Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven returned with part of the Scottish army into Cumberland and besieged Carlisle...
- Siege of ColchesterSiege of ColchesterThe siege of Colchester occurred in the summer of 1648 when the English Civil War reignited in several areas of Britain. Colchester found itself in the thick of the unrest when a Royalist army on its way through East Anglia to raise support for the King, was attacked by Lord-General Thomas Fairfax...
- Siege of PembrokeSiege of PembrokeThe Siege of Pembroke took place in 1648 during the Second English Civil War.- Background :In April 1648, Parliamentarian troops in Wales, who had not been paid for a long time, staged a Royalist rebellion under the command of the Colonel John Poyer, the Parliamentarian Governor of Pembroke Castle...
- Siege of Worcester
Further reading
- John Broster, History of the siege of Chester, during the civil wars in the time of King Charles I (Chester, Broster & Son, 1800)
- Peter Young and Wilfrid Emberton, Sieges of the Great Civil War (London, Bell & Hyman, 1978)
- A. H. Burne & Peter Young, The Great Civil War, a military history (London, 1958)
- S. R. Gardiner, History of the Great Civil War (Vol. 2: London, 1889)
- Stuart Reid, All the King's Armies: a military history of the English Civil War (1998)
- T. F. Henderson, 'David Leslie, first Lord Newark', in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (2004)
- JB, ed., 'John Byron's account of the siege of Chester 1645-1646' in The Cheshire Sheaf, 4th series, 6 (1971), from Rawlinson MS B210 in the Bodleian LibraryBodleian LibraryThe Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library...